Espionage into my kitchen

Tag Archives: Pudding

If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you’ve probably gathered that we’ve spent the last several weeks globetrotting. In a span of 4.5 weeks, we visited Madina and Mecca (Alhumdullilah! Praise be to God!), Dubai, and Karachi. Our trip was a whirlwind, and we are blessed to have had the opportunity to partake in it.

We’re home now, and this trip has made me realize that there is no place like it. Although we truly enjoyed ourselves, I really missed home. I missed our friends, our community, our routine, and I missed this little space of mine.

Now that I’m back, I have a fun lineup of recipes to share. I’ve gotten so much inspiration from our trip, and I can’t wait to build upon it! I’m going to get the ball rolling with some fun spring inspired lemony goodness- Lemon Velvet Trifles, recipe courtesy of my genius friend Sarah of Flour and Spice! These trifles are like little cups (ha! Can you believe I came up with that one on my own? 😉 ) of sunshine. They come together super quick and make for a gorgeous presentation. You can use whatever cookies you want for the layers (I used Biscoff because that’s what I had on hand; Sarah recommended gingersnaps), and I’m sure adding a layer of fresh fruit would only intensify its deliciousness.

Go ahead and give these bad boys a shot. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed 🙂

Lemon Velvet Trifle

Yield: Varies

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup lemon juice

Few drops yellow food color, optional

Crushed cookies or biscuits, as needed

Directions:

In the bowl of a mixer, beat whipping cream on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat condensed milk on medium high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and food color (if using) and mix until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in whipped cream.

Ramadan Mubarak!

Ramadan is the Islamic month of fasting. It’s special because it was in this month that the Quran was revealed, thus making it the most important time of the year. Muslims all around the world observe a day long fast in which they abstain from not only food and water, but also “fasting” from the sins of the eyes, ears, tongue, etc. It’s a time for reflection and becoming closer to God.

For Ramadan this year, my husband and I have made it a point to be more aware of the food we eat. It’s easy to over-indulge when the time come to break-fast, but it isn’t necessarily the right thing to do. Our reasoning this year is that since we’re nourishing ourselves spiritually, we should try to nourish our bodies with the foods we eat. This year, our break-fast meal consists of dates, water, and a bowl of fruit. We follow this meal with Maghrib (sunset) prayer, and then proceed to a light dinner.

In keeping with the spirit of eating light, I’m sharing a recipe for the chocolate pudding I’ve been keeping a stash of in my refrigerator. It’s light yet tastes indulgent, and a spoonful fulfills our cravings when our sweet tooth speaks up 🙂

Happy Fasting!

Chocolate Pudding

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup cocoa

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt and mix well. Add milk and mix until smooth.

Transfer mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, bringing the pudding to a simmer. Stir often, and cook for a few minutes, until thickened but still loose. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Transfer to serving dish and place plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding to avoid forming a skin. Refrigerate until completely cool, at least 2 hours.

Just like Koftay, rice pudding (Kheer) is abundant in cuisines across the globe. The ingredients and method may be a little different here and there, but they all have a similar foundation of milk, rice, and sugar. The remaining ingredients can vary vastly from one cook to the next.

The Kheer recipe that I am sharing with you today is one that comes especially from my paternal aunt, Zaibun. It’s special in the sense that it replaces rice with semolina and includes an egg (which can be left out as well) for added creaminess. All of the ingredients are blitzed in a blender and the cooked for 20 to 30 minutes, unlike traditional Kheer which needs to be cooked and attended to for long amounts of time.

Also, just a note, after blending the ingredients together, you might notice that the mixture has foamed quite a bit. Don’t worry! The foaming will subside after the Kheer is cooked through and refrigerated.

Enjoy!

Sooji Kheer

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

4 cups milk

1 egg

½ – ¾ cup sugar

¼ cup semolina

4 cardamoms

Pinch of saffron

A few drops of kewra essence

Roughly chopped pistachios or almonds, for garnish

Directions:

Combine milk, egg, sugar, and semolina in the jar of a blender and blitz until thoroughly combined. Don’t worry if the mixture begins to get frothy; It will subside after being refrigerated.

Transfer milk mixture to a large cooking vessel and add cardamoms and saffron. Cook over medium heat, making sure to stir often to prevent burning, for 20 to 30 minutes, until thickened.

I normally shy away from writing about personal issues/beliefs or politics on this blog, and usually focus solely on the recipe on hand. However for the past few days my heart has been heavy.

I’m sure you all have heard the terrible news of what happened on Friday, December 14th at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

I just can’t come to terms with what has happened.

I can’t imagine the pain the children and adults are going through, both those who have lost and those who were saved.

Our hearts hurt for you, but know that you are in our prayers.

Today’s post is dedicated to those brave and beautiful angels of Sandy Hook. For those who have left us, may your memories be a source of strength for your families; And for those who survived, may your road to recovery be fluid and tranquil.

Place saucepan over medium heat and heat until the mixture comes to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.